The persistence of authoritarianism as a source of radicalization in North Africa
The persistence of authoritarianism as a source of radicalization in North Africa
复制标题
威权主义的持续存在是北非激进化的根源
DOI：
10.1111/j.1468-2346.2009.00843.x
复制
发表时间：
2009
影响因子：
4.5
通讯作者：
STORM L
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
STORM L
9 月 11 日以及随后在全球范围内发生的恐怖袭击导致全球政治领导人更加重视安全问题。虽然这种对安全的关注并没有导致民主促进努力的放弃，但毫无疑问，以消灭威权主义为核心目标的举措近年来已不再是优先事项，看似与安全问题和“反恐战争”无关的项目支出不断减少，国家元首启动民主化进程的压力也减弱。本文认为，鉴于伊斯兰主义者的激进化与威权主义的盛行密切相关，减轻国家元首引入民主改革的压力不利于增强安全的预期目标。简而言之，有人认为，有理由相信，西方倾向于允许违反基本民主原则，并且未能对积极参与美国一边的“反恐战争”的中东和北非各国施加真正的政权更迭压力，从长远来看会适得其反。虽然无法预测激进伊斯兰主义者犯下的恐怖主义何时会结束，而且几乎可以肯定恐怖袭击将来会再次发生，我们必须学会承受风险，但我们可以对此类事件的规模和频率采取一些措施。本文认为，通过积极的民主促进导致真正的民主化，确实有可能获得更多的安全。
September 11 and subsequent terrorist attacks across the globe have led to an increased emphasis on security issues among political leaders globally. While this preoccupation with security has not led to the abandonment of democracy promotion efforts, there is no doubt that initiatives that have the demise of authoritarianism as their core objective, have become less of a priority in recent years, with spending on projects seemingly unrelated to security issues and the ‘war on terror’ declining, and pressure on heads of state to embark on democratization processes weakening. This article contends that the relieving of pressure on heads of state to introduce democratic reforms is detrimental to the desired goal of increased security, given that the radicalization of Islamists is closely related to the prevalence of authoritarianism. In short, it is argued that there is reason to believe that the West's tendency to allow violations of basic democratic principles, and failing to employ genuine pressure for regime change in the various MENA states, which are actively partaking in the ‘war on terror’ on the side of the US, is counterproductive in the longer run. While it is impossible to predict when terrorism committed by radicalized Islamists will end, and it is almost certain that terrorist attacks will recur in the future and that we have to learn to live with the risks, it is possible however to do something about the scale and frequency of such incidents. This article argues that through positive democracy promotion resulting in real democratization, it is indeed possible to obtain increased security.